Sunday, May 18, 2008

I had a hard time drawing this, and I see a couple of things that could be changed. But, I just used those post-hole diggers to dig 7 holes, each 2-1/2 feet deep, for my new fence I'm building across the back yard.

My had was so shaky from the unusual strain on the muscles, that I could hardly keep the pen point on the paper. So, this looks good enough, to me.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

When you think of repressive, murderous regimes, there is typically one central figure around whom the whole machine rotates. Think Stalin, Mao, Caligula, Hussein...none of these guys quite achieves the level of old Adolph, who based a whole regime of repression and ethnic cleansing on the basis of his own, sinful, pride.

As I sat outside the coffee shop, drawing this picture, I had to explain to three different people why I was drawing a picture of Hitler. Each of them asked me about it in the same manner that they would ask why you were praying to the devil.

Not admiring him, just using him as an example.

It's amazing how, after over 60 years, the man's image still brings such a negative response. Hence the reason he became the ultimate Face of Sin for this series of drawings.

Friday, May 9, 2008

On the subject of sins: Whenever I read a story about someone selling their soul to the devil so that they can gain some special ability, I think to myself that no one would ever consider such a thing. No earthly ability would worth the price.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

There are many theories about why Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald. Some believe that Ruby was telling the truth when he said that he did it to "spare Mrs. Kennedy the pain of a trial."

Others believe that he was sent as an assassin, himself, to shut Oswald up before the truth of the Kennedy assassination conspiracy could come out.

Either way, I don't remember ever hearing anyone say that he shouldn't have done it, in the years following the act. Whatever his motives, Ruby channelled the wrath of the American people against the man they blamed for the end of an era. At least, that's how it seemed to me at 5 or 6 years of age, listening to the grownups around me still talking about it 3 or 4 years after it happened.